Toad In The Hole

This is my take on a beloved age-old classic, with braised lamb standing in for the sausages that are traditionally nestled in a Yorkshire pudding batter. The lamb may be secondary in terms of quantity, but certainly not in flavour.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4

  • 2 parsnips, peeled or scrubbed, quartered, cores removed, then halved crossways

  • 8 baby carrots, scrubbed, or 2 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

  • olive oil, for drizzling

  • 1 quantity braised lamb, from the Lamb stock recipe from the book (see tip) 

  • 1 quantity Lamb gravy from the book or Chicken gravy 

  • 250 g (9 oz) sugar snap peas

  • 1 2⁄3 cups (250 g) frozen peas

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint (optional)

Yorkshire pudding

  • 200 ml (7 fl oz) milk

  • 200 ml (7 fl oz) eggs (about 4) 

  • 3⁄4 cup (125 g) plain flour

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

METHOD

  1. To make the Yorkshire pudding, whisk the milk and eggs in a large bowl to combine. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Season with sea salt, then strain through a fine sieve into a jug. Leave to rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes while heating the oven and oil.

  2. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

  3. Pour the oil into a 20 cm (8 inch) solid cake tin. (Make sure you don’t use a loose-based or spring-form tin, as the oil will seep through, creating a fire hazard in the oven.) Place the cake tin on a higher shelf in the oven for 5–10 minutes, or until the oil is very hot.

  4. Meanwhile, put the parsnips and carrots on the baking tray. Drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat.

  5. With this next step, you’ll need to work quite quickly, because you want to keep the oil and the oven as hot as possible for a beautifully puffed Yorkshire pudding; leaving the oven door open too long will allow too much heat escape. Working quickly, very carefully pour the pudding mixture into the hot oil in the cake tin. Place the tray of vegetables on a lower shelf and close the oven door. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F) and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the pudding and vegetables are golden and cooked.

  6. Meanwhile, mix the lamb and gravy together in a saucepan and gently warm over low heat. Keep warm.

  7. Bring 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) salted water to the boil in a small saucepan with a lid. Add the sugar snap peas to the pan and steam with the lid on for 2 minutes, then add the frozen peas and cook for a further 1 minute, or until tender and heated through. Drain.

  8. Transfer the Yorkshire pudding to a warm serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the lamb into the base of the pudding. Pour the gravy over and serve immediately, with the peas and mint, if using.

top tip

Instead of braised lamb, you can use a 250 g (9 oz) lamb backstrap fillet. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking. Rest for 3 minutes before slicing very thinly, and serve with chicken or beef gravy instead.

healthy fats | high in protein (almost 1½ serves protein per serve)

Great source of vitamin B12 | Good source of potassium + vitamin A

Make ahead

You can make the braised lamb, stock and gravy all in advance. Freeze in separate airtight containers for up to 3 months.